The Transition: Quitting Your Job and Starting Your Passion Project

In a society that seems to breed self-made entrepreneurs daily, many are saying farewell to corporate ladders and trading in the 9-to-5 for personal passion projects. You may be aspiring to be the next dabble-in-everything CEO or just taking on an endeavor you never had the time for. But quitting your day job may actually pay more in the long run.

Since childhood, we have been given rules and directions by our parents, elders and teachers. Taking on your own project not only transfers the control back into your hands but allows you to be your own boss. Whether it’s designing a line of socks like Rob Kardashian or launching a network à la Oprah, your passion dictates the project. The hardest part is simply starting.

Tracy Garraud, a former VIBE magazine editor, had to find the courage within herself to say goodbye to her love of print and start up her own line of greeting cards. Sweetest Taboo is her card-boutique brain child that offers a selection of boldly-written cards for untold love stories. She realized that relinquishing her job title meant going for what mattered most. "It wasn't so much of an epiphanic Oprah moment," she recalls. "I was confiding in a very good friend and he simply said, "Why not just quit?" I think it was then that I realized the value of your life isn't measured by your fancy ass job title per say, but by how you live."

The hardest part about a new beginning may be letting go of the past. Saying farewell to your colleagues and former boss can be intimidating but in order to handle your "two weeks notice" with style and grace, Tracy advises using the sandwich method. "Praise, Bad News, Praise," she said. "Always end off by how your job thoroughly prepared you for this moment and that you hope to make your boss proud."

As for racking up the funds, understand that you need to keep the lights on and pay the bills. Partake in small side jobs to keep your account from going negative and split your assets accordingly. Build yourself a safe cushion before you completely do away with the stable paycheck. Doing what you love doesn't mean sacrificing how you live.

The ends are just as important as the means of making your passion project a lucrative reality. Being financially savvy and building thick skin are valuable assets to have not just in business, but in life. It's the type of hands-on experience you can't get from being confined to a desk. Even if your products don’t become hot commodities as quick as you had hoped or the line isn’t around the block on opening night for your new venue, sometimes the most passionate people get knocked down before they knock out.

"Nothing is actually a failure, just a lesson," she said. "You can't be great without knowing your flaws and learning from them. There's always room for a comeback, so long as you understand that you can only connect the dots looking backwards."

So if you find yourself dragging your feet down a corporate brick road to a dead-end Oz that you don’t believe in, it may be time for a solo career. Many people take on the office life because there’s security in a three-walled cubicle, but it could become your own prison cell if it’s a position that lacks the stimulation, creativity and growth you crave in a dream job. When you build your own business, the doors that open are solely yours to go through.

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SZA called for peace and understanding at Billboard's Women In Music event Thursday (Dec. 6).

During her speech for the Rule Breaker award, singer-songwriter recalled today's climate, asking her peers and those watching at home for a little bit of peace.

"I'm sorry for the state of the world honestly, for everybody in this room and I pray that all of us just get through it a little bit easier and just try not to lash out at each other," she said.

The recurring theme of unity among women was also heard on the carpet from artists like Tierra Whack. In addition to her message of love, the "Broken Clocks" singer also thanked her TDE family for rocking with her creative process.

"I'm just so thankful for everybody having patience with me, " she said. Shouting out the key members of her family in attendance, the TDE affiliate gave praise to her mother, father, and grandma. In this brief speech centered around the artist's growth Solána Imani Rowe, known more commonly as her stage name, Rowe everyone for their trust in her.

"I'm grateful for everybody taking the time to have the patience to watch someone grow, it is painful and sometimes exciting but mostly boring. And I am thankful for Top (Top Dawg Entertainment's Anthony Tiffith) for not dropping me from that label. For Peter, who I change my ideas every day and he be like okay I like this," she continued.

Thanking the likes of musical powerhouses like Alicia Keys and Whack, "The Weekend" singer offered her appreciation and condolences to Ariana Grande.

As November comes to a close, many publications will be crafting their year-end lists for all things pop culture. Forbes released a ranking of the world's highest-paid women in music on Monday (Nov. 19), with Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, and Rihanna holding it down for women of color.

Beyoncé comes in at No. 3 on the list with an earning of $60 million as she made most of her money through her historical Coachella performance, the joint album with husband JAY-Z, Everything is Love, and the Carters' On The Run II Tour in support of its release.

Jennifer Lopez made No. 6 for earnings tallying of over $47 million thanks to her lucrative Las Vegas residency, endorsements, and shows including World of Dance where she serves as a judge.

Rihanna follows behind the "Love Don't Cost A Thing" diva at No. 7 with earnings of over $37.5 million. Although she hasn't toured since 2016—thanks to her cosmetics and lingerie lines, Fenty Beauty and Savage Lingerie—the Bajan pop star has been keeping herself busy.

Forbes' annual list (which factors in pretax earnings from June 1, 2017, through June 1, 2018) has placed Katy Perry at the top with over $83 million in profits due to her gig as an American Idol judge and her 80-date Witness: The Tour that brought in an estimated $1 million per night.

Kelly Rowland has it all and isn't afraid to brag about it on her new single, "Kelly."

Released Thursday (Nov. 22), the singer goes the clubby, confident route while rightfully dropping her attributes like her relationship with God, smoldering looks (a.k.a the drip) among other things. With "Kelly" being the first single since her 2013's Talk a Good Game, the singer comes out swinging, reminding everyone of her power in the game.

The mother of one has promised that her new tunes will be edgier and most honest than her past work that included vulnerable tracks like "Dirty Laundry" and massive hits like "Motivation" and "Commander." Speaking with Vogue over the summer, Ms. Kelly disclosed a few details behind the album.

“It’s about love, loss, and gain and whether it’s professional or with family or whatever, it’s just honest," she said. "I had no choice but to be honest and authentic with this record: it’s about friendship and marriage.”

She also explained a drop in confidence caused her hiatus. “I was thinking about pulling back from recording, but I couldn’t help myself: I still wanted to record. I still felt like I was missing something. The third year just came and left so fast. The fourth year I said: ‘I have to get to work’ and now I’m ready to release some music! I felt like I wasted so much time, and it was my husband who actually called me out on it. He said: ‘Babe, as great as those records were, I think you were nervous, you got gun-shy’, and when he said that it was like boom, a gong went off.”

Glad to have you back, Ms. Kelly. Listen to the eponymous record up top.